In the Distributed Intelligence Systems Lab at GE Global Research in Niskayuna, N.Y., Lynn Derose, the projects principal investigator, left, and John Lizzi, manager, work with robotic units Feb. 1, 2013, that may be retrofitted for medical use at VA hospitals. (Skip Dickstein/Times Union)

In the Distributed Intelligence Systems Lab at GE Global Research...

Lynn Derose works with a robotic unit that will be retrofitted for medical use at the Robotic-enabled Intelligent System lab at the GE Global Research plant in Niskayuna, N.Y. (Skip Dickstein/Times Union)

In the Distributed Intelligence Systems Lab at GE Global Research in Niskayuna, N.Y., Lynn Derose, the projects principal investigator, left, and John Lizzi, manager, work with robotic units Feb. 1, 2013, that may be retrofitted for medical use at VA hospitals. (Skip Dickstein/Times Union)

In the Distributed Intelligence Systems Lab at GE Global Research...

In the Distributed Intelligence Systems Lab at GE Global Research in Niskayuna, N.Y., Lynn Derose, the projects principal investigator, works with robotic units Feb. 1, 2013, that may be retrofitted for medical use at VA hospitals. (Skip Dickstein/Times Union)

In the Distributed Intelligence Systems Lab at GE Global Research...

In the Distributed Intelligence Systems Lab at GE Global Research in Niskayuna, N.Y., Lynn Derose, the projects principal investigator, left, and John Lizzi, manager, work with robotic units Feb. 1, 2013, that may be retrofitted for medical use at VA hospitals. (Skip Dickstein/Times Union)